The Rescuers: Within the White Sands
by Chaotic Meow
Summary: With no other choice, the Society must choose a new delegate, who is sent on his first mission with Bernard and Bianca. As they work together to save a young boy in California, Bernard and Bianca find out just how deep their love for each other is.
1. Into The Fray

Chapter 1 – Into the Fray

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," a voice murmured, the worry in its voice apparent.

A brown mouse sat upon a small makeshift desk that appeared to be from a dollhouse. His frayed and worn overcoat trembled as his breathing quickened, and his eyes began to tear up as he removed his small golden spectacles from his face. The mouse's age was very much apparent, wrinkles scattered along his face, and a long, flowing grey mustache covering his mouth.

"Is this true?" the brown mouse asked.

In front of the desk was a much younger grey mouse, wearing little more than a patchwork jacket and a hat to match. With a somber nod, the grey mouse confirmed the other's fears.

"It's true, Mr. Chairmouse. Nobody's sure of what happened yet, but what we do know is that three of our members were seriously injured in the last mission," the grey mouse said quietly.

The Chairmouse grimaced and put his head in his hands. After a moment of silence, he sat up straight, straightened his overcoat, took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

"Well then, my boy, we must call an emergency meeting. Do inform the necessary mice."

The grey mouse nodded, and then left the dimly lit makeshift office. The Chairmouse sighed deeply, and his eyes began to water. He reached into the desk for a small handkerchief, blew his nose, and put his spectacles in his pocket before getting up. A determined look on his face, he began to leave his office. Meanwhile, the young grey mouse ran. The world seemed to be naught but a blur to him as he rushed through the intricate pipework that made up the building he was in, and his instinct was the only thing that was guiding him.

He turned a corner, and there was a near instant flash of bright light as he left the pipes and came out on the roof of the building. The sun shone brilliantly and a light breeze whipped through the air. The mouse continued running towards a small enclosure that most humans wouldn't have noticed, tucked away between some air ducts. He threw the door open and bounded up the small flight of stairs, panting heavily. At the top was another grey mouse, wearing a provisional headset. Once he reached the top, the other mouse panted as he caught his breath.

"It's…urgent…" he panted. "The Chair…man…he wants to…call an…emergency meeting…"

The other mouse nodded. "Gotcha. I'll get the word out."

The young mouse smiled and then slowly began to descend the stairs.

At the same time, The Chairmouse found himself in a basement, luggage scattered everywhere. Some of the baggage even had layer upon layer of dust on it, having not been in use for quite some time. However, one particularly large case opened a mere crack sat dead center in the back of the basement, and The Chairmouse slowly plodded towards it.

_Three members down…what will we do?_ The Chairmouse thought to himself. _I don't believe this has happened before…we may even have to begin the emergency screening process…and that hasn't been done since…_

The Chairmouse's thinking was cut short as a small din rose behind him. He turned to find dozens of mice hurriedly headed towards the same place as him, and he nearly froze due to the amazing speed with which his fellow members had gathered. But, knowing there was no time to waste, he joined in their hurried pace towards the case in the back. Inside the case, the cacophony of voices rose as more and more mice filed in. Each one was unique, their attire alone evidence of this fact. Some wore bright colors, others wore thick coats, and others still wore nothing more than mere robes. The mice sat at seats made of large spools, and they sat at elongated tables, with name plaques placed at intervals. Instead of names, though, each plaque had the name of a country upon it, and each mouse sat at their designated country as if they had done it hundreds of times before, flowing into place, and then conversing with their neighbors.

The Chairmouse, however, headed straight for a podium in the center. Behind it was a worn tapestry that was easily older than its surroundings, and although it was heavily faded, the silhouettes of a mouse holding a lion's paw could still be seen. Above it were flags representing the nations that had gathered, and upon the podium itself were a toy gavel and a single LED light. The Chairmouse walked up to it without haste, and immediately slammed the gavel upon it. The din that had arisen quelled almost instantaneously, and The Chairmouse began to speak in a somber voice.

"Now, as most of you may have noticed by now, we are short three members."

The audience looked around for the three empty spots.

"Mr. Takano, Miss Clement, and Mr. Djembe were all gravely injured in the last mission they were assigned."

At this, the audience gasped, and a few members sat quietly in their seats, too shocked to say anything.

"However," he continued, "they are in stable condition, and should recover fine."

A few relieved sighs resonated from the audience.

"Now, while we do send our deepest sympathies to their families and friends, the pressing matter at hand is that of the empty seats. We cannot afford to be shorthanded, yes? Therefore, I believe we have no other choice than to resort to our emergency delegate screening process." While the audience murmured quietly, The Chairmouse continued. "So, while Mr. Takano's replacement shall arrive shortly, we still need two replacement members. So, we have a lineup of surrogate members at the ready, and we have written out profiles for them, and each of you shall have a copy at meeting's end."

The Chairmouse took a deep breath before continuing.

"I ask of you then, to look upon these profiles, and choose two candidates who you believe can best fill the roles and perform the tasks assigned to them. Tomorrow, we shall reconvene and make our final tallies. Until then, meeting adjourned."

With the smack of the gavel, the noise rose once more, and the mice began to file out of their meeting hall. The Chairmouse sighed and pulled up a stool before grabbing a file folder, taking a sheet of paper out of it, and reading.

_I only hope that this is the right course of action…_

Outside, in the lobby of the building, a group of mice stood conversing as the sun began to set, bathing the world in a deep red glow.

"…I can't believe it…three members injured on one mission…" one said, still in shock.

"Well," a grey mouse wearing a brown coat and red cap said, "I can't believe we have to resort to these emergency policies. I really hope we know what we're in for."

Another one, a white one wearing a lavender pillbox hat and a matching bow across her chest smiled. "We'll just have to trust the Chairmouse, won't we, dear?"

"Yeah, I just hope that whoever we choose can get the job done right," the brown coated one replied.

The white mouse nodded in agreement. "Let's go home, shall we?" she said, her mind on things other than the serious matter placed before her.

With a nod and a smile, the grey mouse took her arm, and the two headed off with their companion and casually chatted, a long day ahead of them.

The sun arose the next day, its warm rays seeming to awaken the city and give it life. Cars filled the streets as busy people headed off to work and school, and there were no exceptions for the mice who existed alongside the humans. The Chairmouse woke early, anticipating the day's events. Of course, he himself had already had the two best candidates picked out, but more than anything, he was worried about the other members' choices. Almost involuntarily, he found himself headed to the meeting hall hours and hours before the actual meeting. With each step towards the basement, he became more and more worried about the coming decision, and even contemplated returning to his home and just forgetting the meeting.

He shook his head. _No, I can't do that,_ he thought. _Regardless of whatever the outcome, I'm sure we'll be able to handle this._

The Chairmouse forced all negative thoughts out of his head, and put on a small smile, knowing that his faith in his peers would not go unrewarded. Without hesitating, he headed to his office to wait as the rest of the members to arrive.

A few hours later, the first mice showed up, folders in hand, and the din arose once more. As more and more mice filed in, the Chairmouse grew nervous once more, but reassured himself. He grabbed his folder and put on a smile as he walked into the now full meeting hall. Even before he reached the podium to sound the gavel, the luggage case grew deadly quiet. The Chairmouse began to speak, both anticipating and dreading what would come.

"Well, everyone, today is the day we select our new delegates. Now, you should also have received the necessary forms inside your folders, so without delay, quickly give me your answers, and place them inside this bin here," he said matter-of-factly, pointing at a small metal bin in front of the podium. His audience complied, the cacophonous melody of chairs scraping against the floor sounded, and soon the bin was full of neatly stacked papers. The mice then returned to their seats, awaiting the Chairmouse's next words.

"Excellent. Now, there will be a one-hour recess while we tally the vo..."

A black mouse ran into the hall, yelling. "Mr. Chairmouse, Mr. Chairmouse!"

The Chairmouse was startled, his gavel falling out of his hands, and the rest of the delegates focused on the black mouse. "Y-yes, what is it?"

"Mr. Chairmouse! There's a situation outside! A delegate is in trouble!"

The Chairmouse's eyes grew wide with fear. "W-what? Who's missing?" he asked, not even attempting to mask the fear in his voice.

The missing spot became more apparent as the plaque that read "Turkey - Türkiye" lacked a delegate behind it. There was no need for words, as before the Chairmouse could even say anything, the members were already out of their seats and heading for the door.

_No...not another one..._

Outside, the situation became much clearer. Opposite the fountain that lay in front of the building was what appeared to be three or four balls of fur chasing a smaller ball of fur.

"We have to do something, quick!" a voice exclaimed.

"I can try something," one mouse said. The crowd looked around for the source of the voice, and found it in the brown-coated mouse. Nobody objected, and the mouse nodded.

"Don't do anything stupid," the Chairmouse said, obviously worried. The mouse nodded, and then began to walk towards the scene, when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

A silvery blur fell from nowhere, and landed on one of the the larger balls of fur, and the others reacted immediately, pouncing. The silvery enigma jumped just in time, and looked back to see the cats pounce on each other and land in a heap. Not to be easily bested, the group quickly regained their bearings, and then nodded as they all rushed towards the mysterious mouse, who once again dodged. As the cats struggled to get back on their feet, the silver mouse ran to the fountain and jumped on the edge.

"Hey, c'mon guys, I know you can do better than thaaat..." he taunted. "Maybe you've spent too much time eating Meow Mix and not enough time actually chasing mice, fatties!"

There were immediately low growls and hisses, and then there were flashes of fur.

At once, the delegates saw what was going to happen, and there were some smiles flashed amongst the crowd as the silver mouse dodged once more, and the four cats clumsily fell headfirst into the fountain. The silver mouse chuckled as the cats pulled themselves out of the water, dripping and looking very annoyed. The cats shot a few dirty looks at the silver mouse before sauntering away, shivering and cursing to themselves. The silver mouse gave them a sheepish grin and a chuckle before walking over to the black mouse that was staring at him in shock.

The crowd of delegates cheered.

"You alright?" the silver mouse asked, offering his paw to help the other mouse get up.

"Y...yeah....I think so..." the black mouse stuttered, a heavy accent in his voice.

The black mouse took the silver one's paw and as he was helped up, he brushed off his coat. He then shook the silver mouse's paw in gratification, and then ran over to join his fellow delegates. After ensuring that their fellow member was alright, there was immediate murmurs and conversation present as the walked towards the building, and the Chairmouse was deep in thought about the spectacle he had just witnessed. The silver mouse, figuring his work was done, began to walk away, when the Chairmouse cried out loudly.

"Wait, son, wait!"

The silver mouse froze before turning around. He pointed at himself as if he was asking if that was addressed to him.

The Chairmouse nodded, and motioned for the mouse to come over to him. Confused, the silver mouse complied. Up close, the silver mouse appeared to be a young one, and wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses and a white shirt. The moment he got close, the Chairmouse grabbed his hand and shook it.

"I say, that was a fine display you put on there," he said.

"Oh, that? That was nothing...I deal with those idiots all of the time," the black mouse said humbly.

"Oh, don't sell yourself short, lad! And what is your name, by the way?"

"Me? I'm Adam..." the silver mouse said.

"Adam? Well, that's a fine name. Do you have some spare time, Adam?" the Chairmouse asked.

Adam gave him a puzzled look before nodding in confusion.

"Well, would you please come with me? I have some matters I'd like to discuss with you."

Adam shrugged and nodded once more. As the crowd entered the basement, they all surrounded Adam, bombarding him with questions. When they entered the case that served as the meeting hall, Adam looked around in wonder.

"Nice place you got here..."

The Chairmouse smiled and motioned for Adam to follow him as he opened the door to his office. Adam slowly walked over to the door, watching as the delegates filed in and found their seats with ease. He walked into the office, unsure of what was going to happen next.

"Could you please close the door?" the Chairmouse asked. Adam complied, and then sat in a seat in front of the Chairmouse's desk.

"Now, Adam. First of all, I am very grateful for what you did for our fellow member there. If it wasn't for you, it could've ended pretty badly," the Chairmouse began. Adam smiled sheepishly, and simply said, "You're very welcome." "However, that is not why I asked you to come here. You see, we are part of a society dedicated to helping humans and creatures of all kinds, and mice from all over the world are part of our organization...you may even think of us as the rodent counterpart to the humans' United Nations, with a more…hands on approach, hence why we're using their building as our headquarters. Now, as of late, the Society has had a few problems, namely that we're short a few members. I don't have time at the moment to discuss the specifics, but after seeing you in action today, I think you'd make a fine member of the Society."

Adam's eyes grew wide. "M...me? Part of your society?"

"Yes," the Chairmouse said. "You seem like a decent mouse, and we could use someone like you as part of our organization."

Adam was shocked. "Are...you sure...I mean...I think I'm too young for this kind of thing..."

The Chairmouse scoffed. "Nonsense! Besides, how old are you?" Adam looked down and said in a hushed voice, "17, sir." The Chairmouse was immediately shocked.

"Only 17? Don't your parents worry about you?"

"...my parents...died when I was little, sir."

The Chairmouse put his hand over his mouth. "Oh...I do apologize...please forgive me for being rude. I am sorry."

"Don't worry about it, it was a while ago. Besides, I'm capable of handling myself."

"I see..." the Chairmouse trailed off. "Anywho, my offer still stands. I really would like you to join us. You could do a lot of good, and you would get the chance to travel all over the world."

Adam sat in his chair, his arms folded across his chest and a pensive look on his face. "Well, honestly, I don't know if I should or not...I mean, I'd be putting myself in potential danger, wouldn't I?" he asked.

The Chairmouse nodded. "Yes...that is a possibility..."

then finished, "You don't have to decide right away. You can think the matter over if you wish. I'm always here if you want to come back later with your decision. Besides, there's still the matter of setting up your tests and paperwork, and of course, the deliberations."

"I think I do need that time."

"That's fine. However, since we are in a tight spot, you have one week to make up your mind. After that, we will find a replacement." The Chairmouse shuffled some papers on his desk before continuing. "Well then, you may go now, since I need to finish the current meeting. But our doors are always open, and you can come back whenever you want with your decision."

"Alright, thank you, Mr. Chairmouse," Adam said politely before rising out of his seat. He shook the Chairmouse's hand, then walked out of the office into the meeting hall once more, and all eyes were immediately focused upon him. He felt unsettled somewhat as he walked towards the exit, and began to question himself. _Could I really do this?_ he asked himself. He walked out of the door and turned the corner before stopping and listening to the conversation inside.

"Alright, delegates. I do believe that the boy could be a great asset to the Society," the Chairmouse's voice rang out.

There were a few objections from the crowd, and then they were immediately quelled.

"I know what you are all thinking, but let's face it, he does seem cut out for the job, after all, he willingly put himself in danger to save someone he didn't even know. And that is a quality favored by the Society, is it not? I offered him a position as a delegate, however, he is unsure of himself, so I have given him some time to get his thoughts in order. Until then, we shall only choose one replacement..." the Chairmouse's voice trailed off as Adam walked away, deep in thought.

_So some of them don't trust me to be part of the Society...I don't blame them, after all, I'm just a kid from the streets...and I could end up getting seriously hurt, or worse..._

Adam paused as he left the United Nations building, and looked out to the sky, where the sun was beginning to wane, and the world was beginning to tint orange.

_But this could be the chance I need. I can't stay a child forever, and I could actually make something of myself, especially after everything that's happened over the past couple of years. Maybe I should accept the Chairmouse's offer..._

Adam walked down the street towards his home, thinking of the opportunities that could present themselves.

"_The ever infamous Rescue Aid Society…me? A member?"_

_

* * *

  
_

_-Three days later-_

The Society reconvened once more, the delegates filing in as they always did. The Chairmouse kept his eyes towards the door, hoping to see the young mouse he had just met. In the back of his mind, thoughts were racing.

_The paperwork's been set up…we're ready to administer the tests…I do hope he takes up the offer…_

To the Chairmouse's dismay, the last mouse scurried in, being late, and Adam was nowhere in sight. He gave a great sigh, then lightly tapped his gavel on the makeshift podium, starting the meeting.

"Alright then, we shall take a ten-minute recess, then the meeting will continue," the Chairmouse said as he waved his hand, shooing the delegates away.

"Three hours, and not an iota of progress has been made," he muttered under his breath. "I swear, I think I'm getting too old for this."

As he shuffled his papers and fell back into his chair, he looked around. Most of the delegates had left to get fresh air, but a few remained in their seats, chatting with one another. He then looked to the door, and his eyes grew wide as Adam walked in, nervously looking around the meeting hall. The Chairmouse immediately rose to his feet and rushed to greet the young mouse.

"Adam, my boy, I thought you wouldn't make it! It's good to see you again!"

"And it's good to see you too, Mr. Chairmouse," Adam said quietly. "Should we go back to your office? Just a few things that I'd like to discuss with you."

"Of course, of course, right this way," the Chairmouse replied, gesturing towards the hole in the back of the hall that led to his office.

Inside the office, the Chairmouse took a seat, quickly offering Adam one as well.

"So then, Adam, what did you need to talk about?" he asked, getting to the point.

"Well, you see, Mr. Chairmouse, I spent a lot of time thinking about all of this. And I just had a few questions," Adam replied.

"Alright, go ahead," the Chairmouse nervously said.

"Okay, first off all, and most importantly, what will happen if I'm injured on the job?"

The Chairmouse chuckled slightly. "Of course, I should've known. Well, you can be well assured that we will take care of you as best we can. Although it's not much, we have a small hospital wing just outside of the main hall, and you can be certain we have many facilities available for you wherever you go. "

Adam sighed a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. I just had to be sure." He leaned towards the Chairmouse a bit, resting his elbows on the desk, his fingers laced together.

"Next," he said, "I was wondering, is there any form of compensation that I will receive?"

At this, the Chairmouse laughed. "My boy, do you think we would really send mice out to their potential doom without giving them something for their troubles? Of course there is. Besides, how else do you think we have such luxuries as a lighted meeting hall, or even a janitor to clean it?"

Adam smiled and chuckled a bit. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Now, I just have one more question, Mr. Chairmouse," he said as the laughter died down.

"Yes?"

"…when can I start?"

The Chairmouse's eyes immediately grew wide with disbelief. After a few moments, Adam broke the silence.

"Cat got your tongue, Mr. Chairmouse?"

"…oh, I'm sorry…just…so glad that you decided to take me up on my offer," the Chairmouse stammered. "Now, while I can't guarantee anything, as the decision rests on the shoulders of the delegates, we will send someone to notify you when you can come to hear the results."

"Excellent. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairmouse," Adam said politely as he shook the Chairmouse's paw.

"It's a pleasure to have you here, Adam. Oh, and before you go, could you please write down your address for me?"

"Ah, of course," Adam said as the Chairmouse handed him a pen. He quickly scribbled down an address, then opened the door. He turned towards the Chairmouse and quietly said, "Thank you, Mr. Chairmouse. You have no idea how much this means to me."

The Chairmouse beamed a smile at him, and simply nodded in agreement as Adam smiled a little, and then left the office. After waiting a few moments, the Chairmouse sighed heavily, and then smiled.

_We might be in the clear after all,_ he thought as he got up to leave his office. Inside the meeting hall, most of the delegates were in their seats, a few still making their way. Wasting no time, the Chairmouse hurried to his podium and energetically pounded the gavel on it.

"Delegates, I have just been informed that Adam, the mouse who selflessly saved one of our own," the Chairmouse said, gesturing towards the Turkish delegate, "has accepted my offer…"

The light sounds of conversation ceased, and there was the feeling of an almost collective sigh from the mice, as if the matter of the replacement delegate had resolved itself.

"Now, as such, I will require the members of the Delegate Services Committee to meet here tomorrow for deliberations at eleven AM sharp. The rest of you are exempt and can take a day of rest. Meeting adjourned."

The Chairmouse immediately turned to his office and began walking, as there was paperwork to prepare, and the next day would be the most challenging. Outside of the Rescue Aid Society meeting hall, Adam sat quietly, hanging onto every word.

* * *

_-The next day-_

_Oh, why did I have to be late, today of all days?_ The Chairmouse thought as he ran.

His breathing was heavy as he flung open the mouse-sized door to the United Nations building, and turned the corner towards the basement. Downstairs, a small group of mice stood, waiting for the Chairmouse to arrive.

"We've been waiting for ten minutes, Chairmouse. These deliberations won't happen on their own, you know?" one of them said sarcastically.

"Yes, yes," the Chairmouse muttered. "Everyone in."

The Chairmouse set some papers down on his podium as the group moved a few of the tables closer to the podium and sat.

"Now then, let's begin," the Chairmouse said loudly.

Outside, Adam had just arrived, and tried to remain out of sight as he listened in on the meeting taking place.

"As you are all aware, we have had our background checks performed, and Adam seems to be in the clear," the Chairmouse stated. "However, this ultimately boils down to the decision of you, the Committee. Now, who would like to speak first?"

A dark brown mouse with a loud voice and a thick, forest green overcoat spoke up. "We can't just give a position this important to a child his age!" he yelled. "It's just ridiculous! There is no way that he is ready for this kind of responsibility yet!"

"Not to mention that although his records are clean, we don't know what he's done that he _hasn't been caught for_," another mouse donned in an orange robe chimed in.

"But," a white mouse with a lavender bow and matching hat said, "that doesn't mean that he's even done anything in the first place! I think we should give him a chance to prove himself!"

"After all," the grey mouse sitting next to her said, "you did see how he jumped in and saved another mouse that he didn't even know without hesitation."

"But it's the principle of the thing!" the brown mouse said angrily. "All of the delegates here didn't even join until they were at least in their late 20s! And some of them had to apply multiple times!"

"Well, there's a first time for everything," the white mouse said with a determined glint in her eye.

The arguing died off quickly as a loud whirring noise began to grow.

"It's only the janitors cleaning," the Chairmouse said as he waved his paw and dismissed the matter. "Continue."

Adam barely peeked his head in to see what was happening. He couldn't clearly hear what was going on with the cacophony happening above him, and could only see a brown mouse and a white mouse arguing with each other.

_Damn. Can't hear anything,_ he thought to himself. As the noise finally died down, he heard the Chairmouse say,

"Well then, it's settled. We will see you all here first thing tomorrow morning to give the results."

Adam quickly ran out of the basement, not wishing to be caught. As he walked out of the United Nations building, his thoughts began to race.

_What did they decide? Am I in? Or am I not good enough…or old enough?_

He walked home, nervously awaiting the next day.

Adam awoke to the sound of a knock on the door of his home. He lazily got out of bed and gave a great yawn as he stared at the floor for a minute, looking through the pile of clothes. He found a t-shirt and slipped it on, then slowly shuffled to the door as the knocks continued.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," he called out.

He opened the door to find a mouse in a nice black coat staring at him with a curious look.

"Are you Adam?" he asked.

Adam lazily nodded. "And who is asking?"

"I'm with the Rescue Aid Society, I'm a courier. The Chairmouse has requested your presence for today's meeting, which will begin in about thirty minutes. Are you ready to leave?"

Adam's eyes grew wide. "I nearly forgot. I just need five minutes to get ready, and I'll be right there."

Adam quickly brushed his fur and his teeth, and threw on a better shirt and grabbed his messenger bag. As he closed the door, the courier shot him an impatient look and then began walking. Adam locked his door and then followed suit, nervous for what lay ahead.

At the Rescue Aid Society headquarters, the Chairmouse sat at his podium and watched as the delegates filed into their seats.

_This is it,_ he thought.

He turned his head to see Adam entering the hall, and greeted him with a wave, and motioned for him to come to the podium. Adam did so, and they shook hands.

"Well, my boy, it's time for this to begin," the Chairmouse said as Adam took a seat next to him.

The Chairmouse tapped the gavel on the podium, and an uneasy silence fell upon the gathering of mice.

"Delegates, we are brought here today to end what has been the source of many a headache for us all. While we cannot replace the delegates that we have as friends, we must move on, and welcome new ones into the fold. As we all know, the process of choosing a delegate is a tough one, and often leads to many hours of deliberation and approvals or rejections."

"Now, Adam," he said as he gestured towards Adam, "you have shown immense courage and fortitude, qualities favored by the Society. You also, however, are an enigma to us, and nobody as young as you has been a member of the Society in at least a hundred years."

Adam's heart sank at those words.

"But, we believe nonetheless that you would be an excellent candidate for the job, and it is with pleasure that I welcome you to the Rescue Aid Society, Adam."

Adam didn't even hesitate to get out of his seat and jump with joy.

"We expect great things from you, Adam," the Chairmouse said with pride. "And once again, welcome to the Society."

There was applause from the other delegates as Adam looked at them all, beaming with joy and excitement.

_Adam, delegate of the Rescue Aid Society._

_That has a nice ring to it._


	2. When It Rains, It Pours

Chapter 2 – When It Rains, It Pours

There was a small groan. A boy picked himself off of the white sands of the beach, and casually brushed loose sand out of his auburn hair. He then lazily reached for a key that was strung around his neck, then smiled and turned towards the horizon. The day was just beginning, and the sun, beaming brightly, seemed to smile upon the earth, adding to its warmth. Although his mother had told him numerous times not to sneak out of the house to go to the beach, the boy couldn't help himself. Between the waves calmly lapping at his feet and the warm sea breeze tickling his face, he had everything he needed, and although he had visited the same beach for as long as he could remember, he never grew tired of it. With a content sigh, the boy got up and began to stroll idly along the beachfront, only casually gazing whenever a small sea critter or two skittered by. It was a very calm and relaxed morning, _a prelude to a perfect day_, the boy thought. He found a spot of soft sand and sat, the waves lapping at his feet, and he glanced at the horizon. As he lost himself in his thoughts, two shadows silently crept onto the beach and made their way towards the boy. There was a slight snicker from one of them, and the other said nothing.

Closer and closer they came, until finally, one of them slapped his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"BOO!" it shouted.

The boy jumped a bit, and then turned around to see another young boy with black hair wearing swim shorts, and a blonde girl wearing a one-piece swimsuit.

"Don't do that, guys, that's not funny!" the boy said, annoyed.

"Sorry, Gabe, we couldn't help ourselves," the other boy laughed.

"Sorry, Gabriel," the girl said quietly.

Gabriel put a smile on his face and climbed to his feet. "No big deal, guys. Wanna go swimming?" he asked. The other children nodded, and they ran into the warm surf. Hours seemed to fly by as the three children played, not a care in the world. But as they splashed each other in the calm waves, another figure slowly sauntered onto the beach, watching them carefully.

As Gabriel headed out to deeper water for more protection from his friends' relentless attacks, he felt a sharp jab at his foot. He cried out for a moment before looking down and seeing something glistening. His pained face immediately became a curious one, and he drew a large breath before sinking to the bottom of the water. After brushing the soft sand with his hand for a moment, he felt something, and latched onto it.

The moment he rose to the surface, he took a large breath and yelled, "Sean! Cindy! Come here, I found something cool!"

His friends quickly swam over, and he extended his hands.

"Well, what is it?" Sean asked. "We can't see anything with your hands in the way!

Gabriel opened his hands to reveal a brilliant sapphire the size of an egg.

Sean and Cindy's eyes opened wide, and they looked at it in wonder. "Whoa, dude, that's amazing! Where'd you find it?" Sean said in wonder.

"Stepped on it," Gabriel said, a goofy grin on his face.

"What are you going to do with it?" Cindy asked.

"I don't know…but I gotta take it home and hide it! You guys stay here while I put this away real quick!"

Gabriel waded as fast as he could in the shallow water until he reached the shore, and then ran as fast as he could home, excited about his newfound treasure. In no time, he saw his small house tucked away in the corner of a cul-de-sac. He flung the front door to his house open, and slid across the floor to his room, still dripping wet. The door to his room was tossed open, and he immediately made a dash for his bed. He knelt and pulled a small lock box out from under his bed, and carefully unlocked it with the key he had around his neck. The box opened, and Gabriel carefully placed the gem inside before locking it and sliding it under his bed. He then calmly walked out of his room and headed to the front door before he was interrupted.

"Gabriel!" a feminine voice exclaimed.

"Yeah, Mom?" he replied.

"What did I tell you about sneaking out of the house to go to the beach?"

"Aw, don't worry about it, Mom, it's a nice day out, and there's nobody on the beach!"

"This is the last time, young man," his mother said, displeased.

"Yes, ma'am," Gabriel said, smiling.

Gabriel flung the front door open once more, slammed it behind him, and ran to the beach that he loved so much. As the shoreline became easily visible once more, he noticed that his friends were nowhere to be found.

_That's weird_, he thought. He ran out to the shallowest part of the surf to see if there was anyone further out from shore, but there was nobody there. Disappointed that his friends were nowhere to be found, he decided to head home, especially with storm clouds looming in the distance. As he started to slowly walk away, a man dressed in ripped jeans and a tattered polo shirt walked up to him, smiling. Gabriel saw him, and was immediately on edge.

_There's something weird about this guy…_

The man began to speak in a somewhat gruff and raspy voice. "Hey, kid, listen, I've been looking for something, could you maybe help me out?"

Gabriel nervously said, "Uh…I...d…don't know…"

"Well, ya see, I've been lookin' fer this gem, it's about the size of an egg, have you seen anything like that? Y'see, it was my gramma's, and I'd hate to go without it fer too long…"

Gabriel shook his head furiously. "N…nope, sorry m-mister," he stuttered.

The man leaned down close to Gabriel. "Kid, I really hate it when people lie to me."

Immediately, Gabriel started to run, but the man was too quick, and grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him close.

"Well, I didn't really wanna do this, kid, but you left me with no choice. Until you tell me where the gem is, you're gonna hafta come with me," the man said, a dark glint in his eye.

Gabriel began to cry out. "Kid, that won't help you now. A few buddies of mine made sure everyone'd be too tied up to…interrupt us."

With a last whimper, the man dragged Gabriel to a small red truck hidden from view by a few bushes, and threw him into the caged bed.

"We're gonna have fun, you and me, kid," the man said with an evil grin.

As the man put a padlock on the cage, a small black mouse stood atop it. When the man was out of sight, the mouse ran for the padlock and tried to remove it, but to no luck. With no other options, the mouse jumped off of the truck and began to dash towards a tall radio tower situated near a pier, looking back once as the truck roared to life, then sped away.

_Damn, I couldn't do anything,_ the mouse thought as the radio tower grew closer. The sky above quickly changed from baby blue to pale grey as clouds set in, and with a quiet clap of thunder, rain slowly began to descend from the heavens. As the mouse found himself at the base of the tower, the rain had strengthened from a light drizzle to a near torrential downpour. With no time to waste, the mouse squeezed between two planks on the pier and dropped down onto another plank. He then found himself at a small structure made of loose bricks. It looked like something thrown together in a short amount of time, but nonetheless, it had held up. A small worn plaque near the entrance read

RESCUE AID SOCIETY

COMMUNICATIONS TOWER

13TH DISTRICT

"This should be the right place…I hope," he said to himself as he shoved the door open. Inside, a chubby white mouse sat watching a portable television that a human had discarded, and was eating a small piece of celery.

"It's an emergency!" the black mouse said.

"Calm down, calm down. What's the problem?" the white mouse asked.

"A boy's been kidnapped, and I think he's in real danger."

"That is pretty bad, but what makes this so special that the RAS has to get involved?"

"The man who kidnapped him…it's…" the mouse trailed off before a loud clap of thunder drowned out his sentence. "…and the boy, he had found a large sapphire…"

The white mouse immediately had a serious look on his face, and turned to a small Morse code generator behind him and began tapping out a message as he said "Help's on its way."

"Now, Adam," the Chairmouse said as he gestured towards Adam, "you have shown immense courage and fortitude, qualities favored by the Society. You also, however, are an enigma to us, and nobody as young as you has been a member of the Society in at least a hundred years."

Adam's heart sank at those words.

"But, we believe nonetheless that you would be an excellent candidate for the job, and it is with pleasure that I welcome you to the Rescue Aid Society, Adam."

Adam didn't even hesitate to get out of his seat and jump with joy.

"We expect great things from you, Adam," the Chairmouse said with pride. "And once again, welcome to the Society."

There was applause from the other delegates as Adam looked at them all, beaming with joy and excitement.

_Adam, delegate of the Rescue Aid Society._

_That has a nice ring to it._

The Chairmouse smiled as he adjourned the meeting, and then motioned for Adam to follow him. Adam had a puzzled look on his face as he slowly followed the Chairmouse to his office. Once inside, the Chairmouse closed the door, and motioned for Adam to take a seat. Adam shrugged, and did so as the Chairmouse took his seat.

"Now, Adam, first of all, I would like to personally welcome you to the Society," the Chairmouse said, pleased.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Chairmouse," Adam said.

"You're quite welcome. At any rate, now that you are a member of the Society, you do have certain rules to abide by."

Adam nodded as the Chairmouse pulled a folder out of his desk. "I haven't had to use these in quite some time, my boy," the Chairmouse said with a chuckle, "but these should be the list of rules that you must abide by as a delegate. Do take the time to familiarize yourself with them."

"Yes, sir," Adam said quietly as he took the folder and started to skim through its contents.

"And those papers should also have the radio frequency that emergency broadcasts will be used for. If you have access to a radio, you should most likely have it tuned to that frequency in case there is an emergency meeting or the like. Next, you will need to sign some forms for us, they essentially prove that you understand and accept the risks associated with the job…" the Chairmouse said as he pulled a few sheets of paper out and handed Adam a pen.

"Okay…" Adam said nervously as he glanced and then signed one of the papers and handed it back to the Chairmouse.

"Good, good. And this form is yours after you sign it, it's basically a temporary ID card of sorts, it will allow you access to the full resources of the Society as a member. Your permanent one will be given to you later."

_Neat,_ Adam thought. _I might have to see what resources the Society has at its disposal._

"Alright then, Adam, just sign this one, and you are done for the day. Now, I expect you to arrive tomorrow at noon on the dot, as we have some tests that you must take to prove you can hold your own. Do be sure to keep in touch in case there are any emergencies, as I expect your attendance from now on. And as for your seat, I do believe you'll be seated near the American and Hungarian delegates, Mister Bernard and Miss Bianca. Now then, we'll see you tomorrow."

Adam quickly wrote down the information on the inside of the folder and signed his papers, then shook the Chairmouse's hand, and walked out of the office, his head spinning from the day's excitement. The Chairmouse smiled a bit as Adam closed the door behind him.

_There goes the youngest member of the Rescue Aid Society in over a hundred years..._

_The Rescue Aid Society, huh?_ Adam thought as he found himself in the meeting hall. Now that he had a free moment, Adam walked up to the large banner behind the podium and examined it. It was faded, but the image of a mouse holding a lion's paw could be seen, and in barely legible text under it, it read

Euripides Mouse – Our Founder

The hall seemed almost lonely without the hundreds of mice in it, and Adam felt almost like he was disturbing something by being there. He quietly left the United Nations building, and was greeted by a cool breeze and the city lights as night crept upon it. He held onto the brown jacket he was wearing, and headed out into the night, anxious for the next day's trials.

Meanwhile, the Rescue Aid Society's relay system was in high gear, carrying the message of bad news across the United States. As the night dragged on across the nation, mice in dozens of states received the message, and then immediately sent it elsewhere using all sorts of methods of communication, from Morse code to e-mails to phone calls. Finally, as morning was about to break, the message found its way to the New York relay station situated atop the United Nations building, where a brown mouse wearing a vest and a visor wrote down the Morse code message. He read it as he wrote, and as it finished, he immediately handed it off to another mouse who slid down a pipe into the building, and began weaving through the maze of pipes as quickly as he could.

_This message is too important…gonna have to hand-deliver it to the Chairmouse himself,_ he thought.

The sun began to rise on New York City, and the light breathed life into the city. Slowly, activity began, and all of the creatures, great and small prepared themselves for the day. The Chairmouse awoke with a yawn, and began to prepare himself for the day, putting on his dress pants, vest and jacket, and signature monocle. He had just poured himself some coffee when a mouse burst in the door, a piece of paper tightly clenched in its paw.

"Mr…Chairmouse…" the mouse panted.

Flustered, the Chairmouse took the paper from the mouse, and began to read over it. His expression immediately shifted to a worried one, and his voice was quiet as he said, "Send the emergency meeting notice immediately, then prepare a flight with Albatross Airlines to leave at a moment's notice. We don't have much time."

The mouse complied, and was gone without a word. The Chairmouse began walking towards the Society meeting hall at a hurried pace, effortlessly navigating the busy New York streets as people walked back and forth next to him, unaware of his presence. As he approached the United Nations building, he saw that most of the delegates were arriving and entering, a good sign. Inside the meeting hall, there was a soft hum of talk as delegates arrived, some barely awake, some with tiny cups of coffee in their hands.

Adam walked in the door, clad in a black shirt, yawning. "It's too early…what's up?" he asked lazily as he looked for his seat. He looked around to see if he could see the United States and Hungary name plaques, and eventually found them at the very top row of seats, albeit empty. Confused, he sat down behind the United States name plaque and waited for the meeting to begin.

The Chairmouse knocked his gavel on the podium loudly. "There is no time for idle discussion, delegates. We have a grave situation at hand. It seems that a young boy in California has been kidnapped…"

The Chairmouse was cut off. "But why is this so important?" a delegate asked. There were a few murmurs of agreement with this question.

"Order, order!" the Chairmouse said, once again slamming the gavel on the podium. "If you would let me finish, our first findings show that the boy was kidnapped most likely due to his possession of a large sapphire. And although we aren't too sure, we have reason to believe that the kidnapper may be a relative of Percival McLeach…"

The meeting hall burst into surprised cacophony.

"ORDER!" the Chairmouse yelled.

"I know that this is the last thing we were expecting, but nevertheless, we have to act quickly. Normally, we would take volunteers, but due to their previous experience with McLeach, I am assigning this mission to…" the Chairmouse trailed off as he motioned towards the United States and Hungarian seats, "…Bernard and Bia…" he stopped.

The couple was nowhere to be found.

"Not again," the Chairmouse muttered under his breath. "We need to find the-" he was cut off.

"We apologize, Mr. Chairmouse, we got the message a little late," a beautiful white mouse in a lavender jacket said as she walked in with a grey mouse with a red hat and brown coat.

"Oh, finally. Bernard, Bianca, did you hear what I just said?" the Chairmouse asked.

"Yes, a relative of McLeach's is probably running around loose in California and kidnapped a kid because of a sapphire," Bernard said.

"Good, do you two accept the mission, then?"

The couple looked at each other, and then without saying a word, nodded at each other before saying in unison, "Yes. We do."

"Excellent. With that, then, this meeting is-"

"Wait!" a voice cried out.

All eyes were on Adam. "Mr. Chairmouse, weren't we going to have my tests?" he asked.

The Chairmouse looked at him for a moment, puzzled, before coming to a realization. "Oh, drat, I forgot. We will have to postpone that for-" the Chairmouse was once again cut off.

"Mr. Chairmouse," Bianca said, "why doesn't he come with us?"

The focus of the delegates immediately shifted from Adam to Bernard and Bianca.

"What? Are you mad, Bianca?" the Chairmouse asked in disbelief.

"No," she said sweetly. "You need him trained, do you not? Well, there's no better training than firsthand experience!"

There were some soft murmurs from the crowd.

"But we can't afford to send out three delegates again, and we can't afford to send out a new delegate only to have them get seriously injured on their first mission!" the Chairmouse protested. There were a few agreeing mumbles from the audience.

"But Mr. Chairmouse," Bernard said. "She's right. He needs training, and the only way he'll really learn is if he actually gets his feet wet and goes on a mission." There were louder murmurs from the audience.

Seeing no other option, the Chairmouse spoke. "Well then, those against having Adam go on this mission, raise your hand."

Only a few hands rose from the crowd.

_Oh no, _the Chairmouse thought. "And all in favor?"

Nearly every hand in the meeting hall was raised, including Adam's.

_It's just as I feared,_ the Chairmouse thought, defeated. "Well then, since everyone seems so inclined, Adam is hereby assigned to this mission. Adam?"

"Yes, sir?" Adam said, attentive.

"As soon as this meeting is over, I need to speak with you, Bernard, and Bianca."

"Yes, sir."

"Well then," the Chairmouse said, annoyed, "if there are no other foolish matters to attend to, this meeting is adjourned."

Quickly, the delegates filed out of the hall, and soon, there were only four mice left. Bernard and Bianca stood in front of the podium, hand in hand, and Adam stood next to them. The Chairmouse stood at the podium, and began to speak in an irritated tone,

"Bernard, Bianca, although you are justified in your reasoning for taking this boy along with you, I simply cannot allow any more of these foolish choices after today! I can't risk any more members getting hurt, you understand that, correct?"

Bernard and Bianca both nodded.

"Anyway," the Chairmouse continued, "the three of you have approximately six hours to pack your things and get your affairs in order before you depart. An Albatross Airlines flight has been set up for you, flight A113 en route to Los Angeles. Bernard, Bianca?" The Chairmouse said, gesturing to Adam, "Do familiarize Adam with all of the necessary pre-assignment protocols. I wish you all the best of luck. You are dismissed."

Adam sighed a heavy sigh of relief, and then followed Bernard and Bianca out of the meeting hall and into the basement.

"I suppose I should introduce myself," Adam said. "I'm Adam."

Bernard extended his paw, and Adam shook it. "I'm Bernard, and this is…"

"…Bianca," Bianca finished, also shaking Adam's paw. "It's nice to meet you!"

"The pleasure's mine, I've overheard so much about you two from the other delegates," Adam said.

"All of it good, I hope," Bernard joked.

The three chuckled as they walked into the cacophony of New York City.

"Which way are you headed?" Bernard asked Adam, who pointed down a street. "Oh, good, we're going that way as well."

The three began to walk down the street, and chatted along the way, expertly weaving in and out of the crowds of people, not missing a beat.

"So, Adam," Bianca started, "How do you feel about being part of the Society, hmm?"

Adam stared up into the sky as he answered. "It's…all going by so fast…but I'm excited. I can actually make a difference out there."

Bianca smiled sweetly. "Indeed. Although the job has its risks..."

"…the benefits are much greater," Bernard finished. Bianca smiled at him and gave him a soft kiss. "Finishing my thoughts again, are we?" she asked playfully.

Adam chuckled. "So I take it you two are married?"

Bernard sighed a bit. "As much as I'd like to say yes, not yet. We've been so wrapped up in Society matters that we haven't really found the time to have the ceremony in the near year that we've been engaged."

His fiancee then spoke. "We hope that we can take a break after this assignment," she said in her accent. "Hopefully then, we can have the ceremony."

"Talk about being dedicated to your job," Adam said sarcastically. "If you two really have been doing Society work while engaged for a year, then I definitely think you've earned the break."

"Well, thank you, Adam," Bernard replied.

The chat continued as they walked down the street, and Adam then veered to the left as his home came into view.

"Well, guys, I guess this is where we part ways for now."

"Okay then, shall we meet here in say, two hours?" Bianca said.

Adam nodded. "Got it." He then stopped in front of a building and watched for a moment as Bernard and Bianca continued off in the afternoon sun hand in hand, chatting amongst each other and laughing. He then smiled and walked in. Once inside, he simply stood and looked around at his home, deep in thought.

_My first mission…gotta find the right stuff to pack._

He wasted no time in sifting through the piles of clothing that lay strewn across the floor and sorting out what he could take with him. After piling those up, he stuffed that, as well as a few toiletries, into a single small suitcase.

"There, I've got the essentials."

Adam then grabbed a backpack and threw a few books and notebooks into it, as well as some writing utensils and a camera. As he finished, he glanced at the wall and noticed that the two hours had nearly passed. Surprised, he quickly gathered his things and gave his home one last glance, then with a nod, he walked out the door and locked up. Outside, he took a few steps from the door, then placed his lone suitcase on the ground as he waited for his fellow delegates.

_So this is it…this is the beginning of a new adventure,_ he thought. _So much to do…so much to see..._

He stopped in mid-thought as he saw the figures of Bernard and Bianca approaching him, Bernard bogged down with luggage.

"Hello again, dear!" Bianca said cheerfully. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Adam said with a determined look in his eye. "So, tell me, where is Albatross Airlines located?"

Bianca smiled, and motioned for Adam and Bernard to follow. "This way."

The three hurriedly walked down the sidewalk as the day began to metamorphose into night, the sun setting the sky ablaze. They soon found themselves at a tall building with lots of towers on the roof, and Adam looked up in awe.

"You mean to tell me that it's all the way up there?" he said in wonder.

"Don't worry," Bianca said calmly, "we'll take the elevator up."

The front door to the building swung open as a man in a business suit hurriedly left, and the three used the opportunity to run in. Inside, the building was lavishly furnished, with ornate statues situated at intervals, and elegant paintings hung on the wall. Tucked in a corner was a small elevator. The trio walked towards it, and it opened suddenly, a businesswoman walking out, talking loudly on her cell phone. The three again used the opportunity to rush into the elevator. In the elevator, Bernard quickly scurried up the side onto the railing, and then kicked the button for the roof, the elevator quickly groaning to life. Soon, the mice ran out of the elevator onto the roof, where a small domed building lay, the words "ALBATROSS AIRLINES" painted in faded red across the top.

"Well, here we are," Bernard said with a groan, the heavy luggage taking its toll on his arms.

With no time to waste, the mice rushed inside, where a very large bird was waiting. A pair of goggles atop its head and a scarf around its neck, it looked out of place compared to the birds that lived in the city.

"Bernard! Miss Bianca! Boy, it's great to see you guys again," it said.

"And it's good to see you too, Wilbur," Bernard and Bianca said.

"Oh? And who's this with you?" Wilbur asked.

"This is Adam," Bernard said. "He's the Society's newest member."

"Is that so, kid? Well, any friend of Bernard and Bianca's is a friend of mine, especially if you're Society material. A little on the young side, but that never hurt!" Wilbur said, shaking Adam's paw. "So what can I do for you guys?"

"We're here for a flight," Bianca said. "We're flight A113, I believe."

"Flight A113…Flight A113…" Wilbur thought aloud with a pensive look on his face, which then lit up. "Oh, right, the flight to Los Angeles! Going to sunny ol' California for your honeymoon, eh guys? After all, didn't you just get married?"

"Wilbur…" Bernard muttered.

"….Although I don't know why you guys would bring along the kid with you for your honeymoon, I mean…"

"Wilbur…" Bianca said loudly.

"…but hey, I mean, you've gotta be bringing him for a reason, right? But oh man, I hear that LA is beau…"

"WILBUR!" Adam yelled.

Wilbur stopped talking.

"There was a young boy kidnapped in Los Angeles," Bernard said seriously. "And we have to go get him back."

"Oh no," Wilbur said. "Not another one…well, never fear, guys, Wilbur of Albatross Airlines is at your service!"

"Now that's more like it," Bernard muttered. "Alright, let's get packed up."

As Bernard and Adam loaded the luggage onto the sardine can that served as storage, Wilbur started doing exercises to prepare himself for the long journey, giving up only after doing about one or two push-ups. Finally, the can was loaded and strapped onto Wilbur's back, the mice ready to go.

"Alright, boys and girls, this is your captain speaking. Please don't forget to fasten all seatbelts as it will be a bumpy ride, and in case of a water landing, don't panic," Wilbur joked. "Thank you for flying Albatross Airlines, and enjoy the flight."

The three mice strapped themselves in, and they held onto the front of the second sardine can that served as their seats as Wilbur kicked open the bay doors to the Albatross Airlines building, and then backed up.

"Alrighty, guys," Wilbur said in anticipation.

"Here…"

Adam began to get nervous.

"We…"

Bianca put a smile on her face while Bernard held onto the can tighter, and she held onto Bernard's arm.

"GO!!"

Wilbur ran out of the Albatross Airlines building, starting at a jog at first, and then speeding up to a full sprint. As they approached the final stretch of runway that led off of the roof of the building, Adam said, "Have I mentioned recently that I hate flying?"

Bernard then replied bitterly, "You're not the only one."

Wilbur jumped off of the runway, and plunged straight down in a nosedive. Adam held onto the can for dear life and closed his eyes as they free fell, until Wilbur pulled up and began to stabilize and gain altitude. Adam immediately reached for a bag and threw up into it as motion sickness took its toll. As Wilbur began to head west and as Adam finished cleaning up, the three mice settled into their seats, ready for the long journey ahead.

"See, now that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Bianca said, an innocent smile on her face.


End file.
